Let me get this straight: Federal spending represents about one third of Alaska's economy each year, 59 percent of Alaska is under federal ownership, and Sarah Palin is rejecting $288 million in federal funds because she believes they will give the federal government too much control over Alaska?
This is a cynical effort on Sarah Palin's part to appeal to her ultra-conservative national base in her campaign for president. This is why I decided to run for governor in the first place - Alaska needs a governor focused on Alaska's well being, not on personal political ambitions.
That one third of Alaska's economy -- federal spending -- is a pipeline which needs to be kept full. Ted Stevens understood this; he would have been bragging about bringing $288 million back to Alaska.
The list of things impacted by this narcissistic decision on Palin's part is really too long to go over now, but consider this:
She is turning down almost $75 million in education funding - this money could be used to develop our future workforce for things like the gas pipeline. You can be sure Texas and Oklahoma won't be turning down these funds and may get to use some of ours.
And while the governor may not personally need unemployment insurance or vocational rehabilitation every-day Alaskans are now starting to feel the financial pinch from the global economic decline.
Hopefully the Legislature can right this silly decision on the part of the governor.
Bob Poe has had a 28-year career in both the Alaska private and public sectors, including serving four governors in top posts at the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, Alaska Energy Authority, Alaska Department of Transportation and Alaska International Trade. He is running as a Democrat in the 2010 gubernatorial election. Visit his website at BobPoe.com.